File image of CS Alfred Mutua.
The Kenyan Government has been forced to shut down its diplomatic mission in Sudan.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Singo’ei in a statement via Twitter on Sunday June 4 stated that the move was necessitated due to the ongoing fight in Sudan that is even targeting diplomatic officials.
“We continue to receive disturbing news of the targeting of diplomatic officials by armed groups in Khartoum, Sudan.
“Kenya Mission in Khartoum which had remained open to facilitate evacuation of any Kenyans still in the country is now closed,” he stated.
At least 900 Kenyans had been evacuated by the beginning of May as the fighting between the generals of Sudan continued.
The government is yet to give a comment on the number of Kenyans currently living in Sudan and how they will be evacuated now that the Embassy has been shut down.
Sudan’s crisis has entered its seventh week, with violence between duelling generals from the Sudanese army and its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupting on April 15.
According to the United Nations, the country has entered a humanitarian catastrophe with more than 1,800 fatalities and at least 1.6 million people displaced within or outside its borders, with many people fleeing to Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan.
Sudan’s warring factions had on May 11 agreed to a cease-fire to allow for peace talks and humanitarian relief.
The truce was however called off on Wednesday, May 31, after the army withdrew from the deal, accusing the paramilitary of breaching the agreement.
On Thursday, the US government imposed the first sanctions related to the conflict warning it will “hold accountable” all those undermining peace in the country.
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